Rampage Reese Marlies

Up until Sunday afternoon, defenseman Dylan Reese’s post-season Rampage role has been limited to a pre-recorded pitch on the jumbotron during home games.

“Rampage season brought to you by ‘The Money Box’ we charge less so you spend more,” or something like that.

Reese got charged up when he got the call from coach Greg Ireland for Game 6 in Toronto, when the Harvard rookie blue liner set up the first Rampage goal and scored the second in the first period of the 3-0 San Antonio must win after sitting out the previous five contests.

Game 7 do or die, winner take all, loser goes home, series clincher Monday in Toronto finds the Rampage with renewed momentum, playing in a building where they have outscored the home team, 9-3 in the last two games and 12-7 for the series.

Reese had been delegated to the stands with Pete Vandermeer, fellow rookie and late season addition Nick Ross and Adam Keefe, watching the playoffs unfold in front of them. Keefe actually has suited up, but his strength, brute strength, is a talent rarely “enforced” in the playoffs.

But Reese got the nod from Ireland to lace them up as Keith Yandle grabbed a spot in Ireland’s doghouse and the Ivy Leaguer responded as he rarely did during the regular season, on the scorecard.

Reese scored only one goal and added six assists in 59 games and recovered from his first Rampage shift when Iowa’s Junior Lessard blew past him at the San Antonio blueline and scored the Stars only goal of the night back in October to play a respectable back line in his first full AHL season.

Last year at this time, he was toiling in the playoffs in Hartford, along with playing the final 10 games of the season with the Wolfpack.

The Rampage have received huge impact statements from some unexpected sources, as the rookies have surprised Toronto with major contributions. Chad Kolarik, right off the Michigan campus, has scored six points, including a goal and an assist Sunday. Former Wolverine teammate Kevin Porter added another assist Sunday, giving him four helpers this post season.

Now, the forgotten defender, has come full circle…from a less than auspicious beginning of the season, to keeping the season alive for the Rampage in his first game since the end of the regular season. Reese was even selected the game’s first star by the Toronto media in a game Josh Tordjman pitched a 38-save shutout.

Game 7 tonight…let’s see how many Canadians even notice, since only 1829 showed up Sunday afternoon.

Oh, I forgot, our neighbors to the north are a religious bunch, eh and most must have been attending church.

ROUND TWO UNDERWAY

Something is making me a tad uncomfortable.

The winner of the this series will be determined tonight, and that may be true of the other divisional matchup between Manitoba and Syracuse, who will play their Game 6 tonight with the Crunch up 3-2. Four of their five games have gone into overtime.

The Chicago Wolves ousted Milwaukee in six, while Houston could only win a double overtime 1-0 thriller in five games with Rockford. So the IceHogs will open their series with Chicago Thursday after having five days off and the Wolves four.

I’m thinking Game 1 of the North Division finals will be either Thursday or Friday, that’s just a day or two of rest. And it will eventually catch up with lots of three games in three night schedules to align with the Eastern Conference, which has already begun their divisional finals. Sometimes, I really think there is an eastern bias going on.

By the way, the Providence Bruins sent a pretty good message to their finals opponents, the Portland Pirates with a 7-1 thumping in Game 2 Sunday. The P-Bruins have outscored the Bucs 11-1 in the series.

Hats off to the Albany River Rats, who lost in the longest game in AHL history Friday night at home, a five overtime affair in Game 5 of their series with Philly, to outlast the Phantoms 1-0 in overtime Saturday night to force a Game 7 Tuesday in Philadelphia.

SPECIAL MEMORY

Well, perhaps history can repeat itself tonight for Tonyu.

You may recall I bolted to Indianapolis in 1999 to take over the play-by-play position for the new Indianapolis Ice in the CHL, and it was quite a ride to the league title. The Ice had the worst record in the league on D-Day, December 31, 1999. Indy went 24-4 in January and February, finishing second in the league and beating Tulsa and OKC in the playoffs on the way to the CHL Finals.

Against Columbus, in a similar 2-3-2 format, the Ice went up 2-1 (sound familiar) only to lose two straight at home (hmmmm), but went to Columbus, won Game 6 and then took Game 7 in a 3-0 shutout for the championship.

I’m hoping the game doesn’t go into overtime…I’m seriously concerned Joe Dominey would go into orbit with a winning goal, and total depression with an OT setback.

We should know around 9 if we have hockey again next week in the Alamo City.